Mann Ramblings

I'm sure Roku's protective streak is just another aspect they'll need to manage, like how to fix the ship so they don't starve to death. Roku might get hungry... (poor Arad)

I'm flattered! Usually putting a smile on your face requires the kind of stuff that went on in the previous couple of chapters. 😁

Have you been reading my notes?

If I was a cruel person, I wouldn't reveal Arad's plan for another couple of chapters, but I think some people might revolt.

Thank you! I'm so glad everyone is liking this story. It took a little effort to get started, so I'm glad to see the extra effort is paying off.

Wakefulness dragged Arad to the surface with a firm pull he resisted at all odds. He couldn’t remember sleeping so well in ages. His efforts ultimately failed and he opened his eyes to find a handsome tiger watching over him. Arad croaked, his voice thick with sleep which hopefully hid his nervousness. “Hi.” “Good morning.” “Is it a good morning?” For Arad, that was the real question. Their first encounter could be blamed on a number of factors, making it no better than waking next to a stranger after a party, but this... This stepped across the consent boundaries Roku had continued to hide behind. How would he react now? “I think it is.” Relief flooded Arad’s chest, leaving him grinning. “Good. Because I don’t regret last night one bit.” The eyes sparkling as part of Roku’s content expression spoke when he didn’t. No blatant evasion. They could lie together and bask in each other’s presence without guilt rising and ruining the moment. Only a sheet covered them and with an arched brow, Roku lifted the edge, peeking underneath. “Explain a little something to me. We seem a little mismatched here. How did I end up the one in your bed naked?” “Oh, that was all you.” Arad raised a hand to swear the truth. “I tried to be good and keep my hands to myself—” “Excellent job, I see.” “—but you started humping me in your sleep.” “I did not.” “The crusty cock snot all over my hip and stomach says otherwise. Doesn’t matter though. You can only tease a man so far before he retaliates.” Roku gasped in mock offense. “You took advantage of me.” “The big, bad tiger could have stopped me when he woke up.” “But then you wouldn’t have finished.” Arad’s mouth fell open, too stunned to speak. Not only had Roku made a joke inside his oh so very earnest comment, but he’d made an entirely inappropriate joke at that. Once Arad wrapped his head around the idea, he burst out laughing and Roku joined him. Reaching out, Roku pulled Arad into his arms as they calmed. He inhaled deep and strong along Arad’s temple before his voice sobered. “I still worry I could hurt you.” Arad pulled back so he could look into Roku’s eyes. “You’ve been more human to me than most people I've ever known. I’m not worried you’re gonna maul me.” Roku didn’t look especially convinced. “Look, let's not overthink this. I know we’ve been kind of thrown together, but I’d like to believe we can figure this out from here. Wherever it goes. We don’t own each other and I don’t expect anything from you.” He didn’t resist as Arad shifted out of his arms. “I know, but sometimes I get an urge to hide you away and keep you safe.” “We’re the only one’s here.” “It doesn’t mean I don’t want to protect you.” Roku raised a hand and brushed his knuckles along Arad’s cheek. “Roku, I’ve been on my own for a long time. You’ll learn to get over that.” Capturing Roku’s hand, he drew it to his chest. “Right now, all I’m asking is that you don’t pretend last night didn’t happen.” “I won’t. I promise.” “And in case I seriously mess this up, in my defense, I’d like to say that no guy’s ever stuck around before.” “I don’t remember if anyone has for me either.” “Blind leading the blind.” Releasing his hand, Arad slapped Roku’s chest and started to climb out of bed. “Come on. I’ve worked up an appetite.” Not totally ogling Roku as he dressed took some doing, but somehow Arad managed. Scratching his waist Arad spotted the dried remnants on his skin. “I should probably clean up before we eat.” Roku sidled along side him and sniffed along Arad’s neck clearly sampling inside the collar of his shirt. “Not yet. I like how you smell right now. Your scent is sharper somehow. It reminds me of last night. You can shower later.” “You marked me.” “I was asleep.” “Whatever. Don’t think I’m going to stop showering just because it turns you on.” Unlike many slugs, Arad had always prided himself on his need for habitual cleanliness. They padded to the mess hall, walking close enough to bump along each other through the hallway. For a change, Roku prepped their meals. Seeing him trade the unspoken roles they’d fallen into helped aleve a tiny fluttering of worry. Roku continued to have his concerns, but he appeared to be setting them aside enough to get to know Arad properly. They weren’t gone, of course. No one could get that lucky. There were still sheer walls to climb and Roku’s lack of memory and history to contend with, but the here and now held a much broader scope of possibilities between them. Possibilities Arad wasn’t ready to give up. Not anytime soon. When the cooker chimed, Roku juggled the piping hot bowls of food with a comical series of yowls and never dropped both trying to get them to the table without scorching himself. He skidded one over with a quick poke, and Arad stabbed his utensil in it to keep the bowl from flying off the edge. Roku shook his hand and blew on his singed fingers. “I’ve been noticing something. I know we found another case of rations, but we both know that won’t last forever.” “Yep.” Arad paused, staring into his bowl. Utensil in hand, he’d stopped short of stirring his food. “And we don’t have the parts to fix the engine, right?” “Yep.” “Do we have a backup plan?” Thankfully, Roku said we. It felt good that whatever came next, he expecting them to that next step together. However, it didn’t make the answer Arad had been concocting over the last few days any less awkward. Arad’s sigh pushed curls of steam from his bowl across the table. “Yep… but I’ve got a feeling you’re not gonna like it.”

Let's hope they can find a new option to consider

They're definitely not out of the woods yet, but hopefully this is one less trial to deal with. Hopefully.

That's what I'm saying.

Thanks! I figured something had to happen soon, or nothing would happen at all. And that just would not do...

Inside Roku’s tight embrace, Arad managed to twist himself until he faced the mumbling, slumbering DemiShou. Another heavy inhale across his scalp ignited a fierce shiver over Arad’s skin. He knew what he wanted—he knew what Roku wanted—yet he found himself hesitating. The line he was daring to cross skimmed so close to the near non-existent boundaries of consent a hustler experienced. Roku took in another ragged sample of his scent coupled with a second whine bordering on begging. The shift in position had left the tiger’s hot member rutting along Arad’s stomach. If he didn’t participate, Roku was going to get his regardless. Arad wasn’t willing to be a spectator. Any doubts he had fled the room when he squeezed Roku’s cock and received a thankful growl for his efforts. No going back now. Barely enough light to see by, Arad decided to map out Roku’s chest by rubbing his face against the furred slabs of muscle. The faintest hint of soap and musk clung to the crevasse between the firm and lightly yielding swells. Better than any other he’d had the fortune to indulge in over the years. Little by little he shimmied his way lower, sniffing and kissing the thick ridges along the way. The fur spanning Roku’s abdomen thinned to nothing once he reached the beast between Roku’s legs. Awestruck, Arad shuddered at its impressive length and girth, but knew with his history it wasn’t anything he couldn’t manage. It was a thing of pride, and the weight of it in his hand bestowed upon him a lustful reverence. What would the religious street barkers in Grey District say if they saw him now? Anything other than “you lucky bastard”, and he’d call them all lying bitches. Every last one of them. He might do it anyways if he ever found himself planet-side again. All side thoughts vanished as he gave the beefy stalk a lazy, yet purposeful squeeze, bringing up a fresh drop of dew from the gaping slit which glistened in the meager light reflecting about. Too thick to run, the glossy bead beckoned and Arad wasn’t fool enough to ignore its call. Arad flattened his tongue and drew a wide, wet trail up the veined shaft to the bulbous head, taking the honeyed sample coating the flesh. Salty and savory, the flavor was subtly different from any other man he’d known. A DemiShou trait, perhaps? It taunted him, demanding a second taste. A new warmth spread through him centered on his lips and mouth, driving him for more. He placed a kiss to the weeping apple, drilling his tongue into the well as he stroked the length to encourage a stronger flow. The finest liquors never tasted so sweet. Arad dared to look up at Roku over the hilled landscape of his muscled torso. There wasn’t much, but there was enough light to glint in the tiger’s eyes, and they were open. Watching. Caught, Arad froze, unsure how Roku would react. Reaching out, Roku palmed the back of Arad’s head. He gave a silent signal, a quiet nod, and Arad relaxed his jaw and body, ready and willing. With a slow pivot of his hips, Roku sank his cock deeper and deeper until the base met Arad’s lips. Roku held him there, grinding his full sac against Arad’s chin, groaning in approval when Arad choked around his meat, but he didn’t resist the intrusion like a good boy. The whole time Arad’s eyes hadn’t left Roku’s and the DemiShou appeared pleased without saying a single word. Indulging was easier at times when you didn’t have to voice your desires out loud. Roku backed his hips away, sliding his dick out of Arad’s throat, allowing him to take a wicked breath through his nose because his mouth was still full. He wasn’t about to release the swollen glans. Oh no. He’s was keeping hold of that for the time being. Now that the pretense was over, Arad went to work. With one hand massaging Roku’s balls, he used the other to help stroke and feed himself. The increasing groans spilling out of Roku encouraged him to do more. He may not have preferred the profession he’d fallen into for survival, but it didn’t mean Arad hadn’t learned the required skills to the best of his ability. Roku shook with the effort of holding back, regardless of how his hips pushed forward in restrained increments. He must have been dying to bury himself and stay there, but he was a decent man, even in near-mindless ecstasy. Between the noise, tremors, and the way Roku’s cockhead flared, the end was only moments away. With a stifled roar, Roku stiffened, and the first of several gushes painted Arad’s tongue and filled his mouth. He swallowed it all, not willing to waste the delicious nectar that beckoned to him like Syn. Roku twitched and yowled with each heavy spurt. Without releasing Roku’s softening member, Arad dug into his own shorts and attacked his own aching need with a desperate urgency. Using both hands, he came with blinding speed. Semen pooled quickly in his cupped hand, threatening to overflow. His labored gasps made Roku’s penis fall free, leaving a residual arc along his cheek. “Get up here,” Roku growled. Suddenly everything became all too real and Arad hedged. “I should go close the door.” “Get up here, Arad.” “Okay.” Arad scooted back into Roku’s line of vision as ordered. The tiger took Arad’s wrist and brought the messy hand upward while Arad struggled to keep it from spilling. His feline tongue snaked out and licked through the puddle. He cleaned every trace of fluids from Arad’s palm, including the wayward streaks seeping from between his fingers. It was a little too soon for a new erection, but Arad could see the potential. Once finished, Roku gave Arad back his hand and pulled him close. “Now go to sleep.” “Okay.” And Arad did.

I can still blow up the ship if you don't like where this is going... 🤣